Hyatt, Bernard power Jamaica

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – For the first time this season, Jamaica’s batsmen, led by Danza Hyatt, started strongly in the WICB Regional first-class championship against Barbados on Friday.

Hyatt led the way with 94, Dave Bernard Jr was unbeaten on 84, and Tamar Lambert scored 55, as Jamaica, sent in to bat, reached 316 for five in their first innings at the close on the opening day of their third round match at Kensington Oval.

The Jamaican batsmen upstaged career-best bowling from Jason Holder. The former Young West Indies all-rounder, and a product of the West Indies High Performance Centre, rattled the Jamaican batting, when he collected four wickets for 57 runs from 19 overs.

But stands of: 121 between Hyatt and Lambert for the third wicket, 60 between Lambert and Bernard for the fifth wicket, and 92 – unbroken – for the sixth wicket between Bernard and Chadwick Walton put the visitors in a favourable position.

After the Jamaicans were sent in to bat, the 6-foot, 5-inch tall Holder made the breakthrough for Barbados, when left-handed opener Simon Jackson was caught behind for 21.

Next ball, Marlon Samuels, Jamaica’s most prolific batsman this season, was trapped lbw playing across a full length delivery from the 18-year-old Holder to leave the visitors 39 for two.

Hyatt continued to score freely and reached his 50 from 69 balls, when he Tino Best through extra cover for his seventh boundary.

The Jamaicans suffered a setback however, when Brendan Nash ducked into a short delivery from Best, and was struck on the helmet in the final over before lunch.

After medical attention on the field, he retreated to the pavilion, and was later taken to the hospital, where he received seven stitches to his right ear. He will continue his innings on the second day.

At the interval, the Jamaicans were 111 for two, and Hyatt and Lambert emerged after lunch to manhandle the Barbados attack.

Hyatt looked set to reach his hundred before he gave a return catch to Holder. He batted just under three hours, faced 110 balls, and struck 15 fours and one six.

Jamaica also lost Wavell Hinds caught behind off Holder for a duck to leave the visitors on 164 for four, but Bernard joined Lambert, and they spent almost 1 ½ hours together to consolidate their side’s position, taking Jamaica to tea on 197 for four.

After tea, Lambert reached his 50 from 95 balls, when he drove leg-spinner Shamarh Brooks to long-off for a single before Best bowled him. The Jamaica captain batted just over 2 ½ hours and struck two fours and two sixes from 113 balls.

Walton is no stranger to the Barbadians having spent the last three season playing club cricket in the island for the University of the West Indies, where he was enrolled. He provided solid support to Bernard, and they batted through to the close.

Bernard reached his 50 from 99 balls inside the last hour, when he dabbed Ryan Hinds into the covers, and scampered for a single.

Barbados made two changes to their line-up, with Roston Chase and Best replacing Kirk Edwards and injured fast bowler Pedro Collins.

Edwards will be winging his way to the World Cup as a replacement for the injured Adrian Barath.

Jamaica made just one change, with Andrew Richardson brought in to replace fellow fast bowler Sheldon Cotterrell.

The Barbadians are seventh on the eight-team ladder with six points, after they conceded first innings points in their first two matches, which ended in draws against Trinidad & Tobago on the road, and the England Lions on home soil.

The Jamaicans are tied with the Lions and T&T on 18 points, but they are effectively third under the tie-breaker rules of the competition.

They crushed Guyana by 165 runs victory, after conceding first innings points, and then had to settle for a draw, after gaining first innings points from Windward Islands, when the rain wiped-out the last two sessions of that match.

Since the turn of the century, the two sides have contested 16 matches. They each have won seven, with the other two ending in draws, either side gaining first innings points in those.